2015 Bodacious

What it tastes like to us…

Well, let's start with the fact that Bodacious is a red blend. Now we know the world is awash in red blends these days, but there aren't many (at this price anyway) from Napa Valley, and none like Bodacious. In 2015 we used not two or three but six varieties: 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Syrah, 19% Cabernet Franc, 11% Petit Verdot, 10% Merlot, 1% Malbec. Get out the calculator! So what do you get? A load of lush fruit – juicy red cherry, black raspberry, cassis; plus espresso and cola. Dusty cocoa, the kind we used to make chocolate milk with. And some good acid for structure. With a name like Bodacious, of course the wine is full-bodied and pleasurable, in fact, it offers up some pretty plush drinking right now.

What Mother Nature delivered…

High quality, low yields – that's what you need to remember about 2015. The spring weather was pretty cold, for these parts anyway; the vines weren't happy about it so they didn't push as much fruit. But things fell into line during the summer, and harvest went off without a hitch. It was early though, winemakers couldn't believe how early. Summer vacations were short in 2015, if they happened at all.

What we did then…

We hand-picked and sorted the grapes, but of course. After destemming, we let them soak for about four days (gets 'em nice and ready for fermentation), then let the fermentation rip. We fermented in stainless steel, then aged the wine in barrel – 19 months in mostly French oak (ok 4% American oak, if you must know). Some new barrels, some used. We like the oak, but all new oak with this wine would be too much of a good thing.